ACFT EQUIP PROB. NOSE GEAR DOOR HAD LOOSE SCREWS AND INTERFERED WITH OBTAINING A SAFE GEAR INDICATION FOR LNDG. RPTR HAD TIGHTENED SCREWS AND DEPARTED ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROB. RPTR RETURNED TO HOME BASE.

Date: 1996-06 · Aircraft: PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040 · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|other-unspecified

Synopsis

ACFT EQUIP PROB. NOSE GEAR DOOR HAD LOOSE SCREWS AND INTERFERED WITH OBTAINING A SAFE GEAR INDICATION FOR LNDG. RPTR HAD TIGHTENED SCREWS AND DEPARTED ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROB. RPTR RETURNED TO HOME BASE.

Narrative

DEPARTED TRK ENRTE TO TVL. AFTER DEP THE GEAR HANDLE FAILED TO RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POS AND THE RED GEAR WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON (PA31-350). I TRIED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR AND GOT A NORMAL DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION; 3 GREEN; HANDLE TO NEUTRAL; RED LIGHT OUT; AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS VISIBLE IN THE MIRROR ON THE L-HAND ENG NACELLE. I PUT THE HANDLE BACK INTO THE UP POS AND GOT ALL NORMAL INDICATIONS; 3 GREEN WENT OUT; I HEARD 3 'CLUNKS' OF THE WHEELS RAISING INTO THE WELLS; THE RED LIGHT STAYED ON. THE HANDLE FAILED TO RETURN TO NEUTRAL; THOUGH. BY THIS TIME IT WAS TIME TO START A DSCNT FOR LNDG SO I AGAIN LOWERED THE GEAR AND GOT A 3 GREEN NORMAL INDICATION. AFTER LNDG I GOT OUT TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE GEAR. I NOTICED 2 LOOSE SCREWS; ONE ON EACH NOSE GEAR DOOR. I RETIGHTENED THEM WITH MY FINGERS AND THOUGHT NOTHING MORE OF IT. I DEPARTED TVL ENRTE TO SMF AND HAD THE SAME PROB. I THEN PUT THE GEAR BACK DOWN AND DIVERTED TO MY HOME BASE; OAK; THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. THE ACFT FLEW 3 LEGS PRIOR TO DEPARTING TVL WHERE IT SAT FOR ABOUT 5 HRS. ALL PRIOR LEGS WERE NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THE TIME I ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS LEGAL FOR FLT AND POSED NO SAFETY HAZARD TO ANYONE. LOOKING BACK NOW I MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG IN DEPARTING TVL.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.